


Surprise!

by pronnpto



Series: Adventures in Journalism [2]
Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 06:21:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26348518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pronnpto/pseuds/pronnpto
Summary: Kotetsu wanted to show his favorite journalist just how much she means to him, so he throws her a birthday party. Still, he didn't account for the alcohol and her feelings to mix like this.
Relationships: Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr./Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, Kaburagi T. Kotetsu/Original Character(s)
Series: Adventures in Journalism [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1914595
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Surprise!

“You really outdid yourself, Mr. Kaburagi.” 

Olvia looks around the room before quickly returning her gaze to the floor. Here she was in _the_ Barnaby Brooks Jr.’s apartment. It wasn’t just her, however. The rest of the pro heroes were present and dressed in their civilian gear, something she didn’t think she would get used to anytime soon. After all this time she saw them as co-workers, friends even, but she couldn’t help but wonder if the feeling was mutual. Perhaps that’s why Kotetsu had gone out of his way for her.

_It was late at night, and she had been watching a rerun of an old King of Heroes crowning ceremony when her phone rang. Seeing as it could only be work calling this late, she didn’t bother to check the caller ID before picking up. “Hello, you’ve reached Olivia with the Bronze Daily. How may I help you?”_

_“Olivia!”_

_She let out a soft gasp, shooting up in her seat and reaching for the remote. “K-Kotetsu! What’s up?”_

_Not long after the events atop Justice Tower, the two had exchanged personal information. Their relationship grew past the boundaries placed between interviewer and interviewee, and Olivia couldn’t be happier. Still, with the both of their jobs having unpredictable hours, they rarely found the time to speak with one another. Maybe something was wrong?_

_“Ah, you see we- I was wondering if you’d want to meet up this Saturday? If you’re not busy, that is.” His voice was robotic, and if she didn’t know better she’d think Kotetsu was reading off of a script._

_“I’ve got a big event earlier in the day. You know how they just finished up the construction on Justice Tower? They want me to cover the event. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it,” Olivia admits with a sigh. What were the chances that the one day she was busy Kotetsu would invite her out? “But um, what’s it for? Maybe I can convince the boss to let me out early.” His only response was a long pause. “Kotetsu?”_

_He let out a grunt, grumbling something under his breath before laughing. “Uh, I just wanted to hang out! I’ve got all evening, so feel free to come over whenever!”_

_“I dunno...I might be too tire-”_

_“C’mon, Olivia! This is really important, and…” There’s muffled bickering on the other side of the phone, and she can’t help but raise a brow. “Just promise me you’ll try to make it?”_

_Olivia could almost see the puppy dog eyes through the phone, and she felt her heart skip a beat. How could she say no to that? “Yeah…I’ll keep you updated.”_

True to her word, Saturday evening rolled around and she gave Kotetsu a call. “Hey, I’m outside the address you sent me but...am I at the right place?”

There was a cacophony of noises coming from his side of the phone, and she had to pull it away from her ear. “Yup! You’ve got the right place. I’ll be down for you in a minute.” The noises cut out as he hung up, and she lingered outside the opulent entranceway awkwardly, glancing at the cars as they drove by. 

Olivia knew for a fact that this was not Kotetsu’s home. Ever since she had found Wild in the tree that one day, she had gone to visit them regularly. Since her complex wouldn’t allow pets, she and Kotetsu had become co-owners of the rascally kitten. 

The glass doors slid open silently, and out came Kotestu with Wild in tow. “Kotetsu! What’s Wild doing here with you?” It was only then that she spotted the small party hat on the kitten’s head and she tilted her head. “Since when were you into playing dress up? On second thought, it must come with being a hero,” she says with a laugh. 

“I thought you’d like it! He fought me the whole time, though. Don’t know why he wouldn’t want to dress up.” He laughs, passing Wild off to her before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Her cheeks burned as she was ushered inside of the building. That didn’t last long though as her jaw dropped as she took in the building’s interior. 

As far as the eye could see was stark white walls, accented with sleek black and grey patterns. The marble floors were practically blinding in the light, and Olivia only grew more confused as they entered the elevator. This was no fancy restaurant, judging by the extremely residential look of the exterior, but there was also no way Kotetsu had managed to move into a place like this. Unless there was something else going in.

“You still haven’t told me what we’re doing here,” she says, her voice echoing in the elevator. She felt so small here, so unsure of what was going on. 

“You’ll see,” is his only answer. Yet when she looks over, she can see him struggling to contain a smile. She quirks a brow, but the doors open with a _ding_ before she can overthink things any longer. “This way!”

Olivia follows behind him in silence, glancing down at Wild and muttering, “Do you know what’s going on little guy?” _Meow_. “That’s what I thought.” She sighs, but the moment she sees the look of pure glee on Kotetsu’s face she forgets how to breathe. He stops, grabbing the door handle and swinging it open. The room was dark, save for the city lights shining through the massive windows, and Olivia stepped in. Loud pops went off around her and she flinched, clutching Wild closer to her chest.

“Happy Birthday!”

The lights flickered on, and the room was suddenly filled with _Heroes_? Oliva’s jaw dropped as Kotetsu closed the door behind them, looking satisfied as he scooped Wild out of her arms. She noticed the party hat on top of his own head, and she felt her face burn.

“Wait, this...is for me?” Laughter filled the room as she took in just who was there. “Blue Rose, Sky High, and Dragon Kid too! Y-you’re all here,” she says with a start, feeling tears sting her eyes. She turns to Kotetsu, trying to hide them with a wobbly smile. “Thank you.” It was all she could manage to get out before turning in a blubbering mess.

Nathan swooped in immediately, offering tissues and a smile. “Someone thought it’d be nice to give you a surprise,” they hummed, nodding at Kotetsu. Karina and Pao Lin joined them soon after. “And we all wanted to join in! After all, it’s not often Kotetsu shows interest in som-”

“Hey now!” Kotetsu interrupts, frowning as Wild swipes at his nose. “This isn’t about _me_! It’s about the birthday girl!” 

“And that’s exactly why you prepared your specialty meal,” Barnaby says, emerging from the kitchen with a smile. He had a large serving bowl in his hands, and he set it down on the small white table in the center of the room. Before Olivia had realized it, a cake and other goodies had appeared as well. 

“Kotetsu’s fried rice can’t be beat,” Antonio chimed in, making his way towards Olivia. Before she had realized it, she was being swarmed by the pros, all smiling and wishing her the best.

“This is kinda weird,” she admits with a giggle, “you guys are normally the ones getting swarmed.” With that they all jump back, chuckling among themselves. 

“So who wants food?” Pao Lin said, smiling as she gestured towards the mountain of food. “Everyone brought something, since we didn’t really know what you’d like.”

“I made the cake,” Ivan says, suddenly drawing attention to himself. Olivia couldn’t help but smile, her tears long gone. 

“Thanks and thanks again everyone! This will be a party we’ll never forget!” Keith says, his signature phrase echoing through the mostly empty room. With that, glasses were passed around and Kotetsu raised his for a toast.

“Happy birthday, Olivia! We look forward to spending next year with you too!”

The rest of the night passed in a blur. Olivia wandered from group to group, exchanging laughs and stories. Nathan wanted to hear all about how she and Kotetsu met, and she couldn’t help but feel as if she was meeting the parents of the bride. She and Antonio shared embarrassing stories about the old man, and she gushed to the entire group about their amazing feats of bravery and justice. This night was all she could ask for and more; after all, she got to spend it with all her favorite heroes.

Most importantly, she spent it with _her_ number one hero. 

As the night came to a close, people slowly began seeing themselves out. Antonio escorted a drunk and clingy Nathan out, yelping as they grabbed his ass. Karina and Pao Lin had left earlier, with Ivan trailing behind them not long after. Keith had just closed the door when Barnaby turned, casting a sympathetic look in Kotetsu’s direction.

“That was awesome!” Olivia was clinging to him, having ingested more than her fair share of alcohol throughout the night. She reeked of it, in fact, and Kotetsu was between a rock and a hard place. He sighed and picked her up, walking towards his partner.

“What do we do? I want to call a cab, but…” Olivia shifts, slurring random phrases before she rests her head against his chest, snoring softly. 

“You’re worried,” Barnaby finished. “You’re the one that set this up; it’s your call. I thought we’d be able to spend the night together, but…” For a moment he looked like he was pouting, and Kotetsu couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“It’s _her_ birthday today, Bunny. One night apart won’t kill you.” There’s a pause before he smirks. “Although I’ve heard bunnies can die of loneliness.” The younger man glared at him, and Kotetsu felt a chill go down his spine. “I get it, I get it. I’ll take her home. Take care of Wild for me?” They both linger for a moment, looking into each other’s eyes before he goes for the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

With that he shifts Olivia once more, carrying her on his back as he makes his way out of the building. She was only slightly aware of what was going on, drifting in and out of consciousness. Kotetsu had attempted to make conversation, only to be met with groans and moans. The younger woman shifted, resting her head on his chest and sighing. 

“Warm,” she mumbled, cuddling as close as she could with the seatbelt in her way. She grasped the fabric of his shirt, snuggling closer. “...ve you.”

“Hm?” Kotetsu had, so far, ignored her drunken ramblings. This sounded more like a coherent statement, and worried that she might be sick, he gently shook her shoulders. “Everything ok?” 

“I love you.” There’s no slurring in her words, and she meets his gaze. If he hadn’t seen how much she drank earlier in the night, he could mistake her as sober. But she wasn’t, and he knew what liquid courage could do to a person.

“Yeah, me too,” he says, doing his best to dismiss it. He tears his gaze away, opting to look at the city fly by. There’s a tug at his tie, and he struggles to stay focused on the outside world.

“No, I mean it! I like-like you,” she says, now sounding as drunk as she actually was. He laughs, patting her head as the cab comes to a stop. He offers the driver a grateful look, giving him a generous tip before scooping her out of the vehicle. 

“I’m sure you do,” he says with a laugh. That seemed to do it. The walk into her building was quiet, save for the occasional sniffle coming from the woman on his back. He felt a wet spot forming there, and he took a deep breath. He had taken her key out of her purse before they left Barnaby’s place, so he was able to unlock her door and situate her with ease. 

As he made his way towards the bedroom, he took it all in with a breathless laugh. Posters and framed news articles adorned the walls, all celebrating his various achievements as Wild Tiger. He’d known for the longest time that she was a fan, but this was...nice. A part of him thought the large stuffed tiger on her bed was a bit much, but what could he say? He gave Barnaby a stuffed bunny, after all.

Once she was tucked into bed he grabbed a glass of water and a bottle of medicine, setting them down on her bedside table. He scoured the place for a pad of paper and a pen-shouldn’t a journalist have a ton of them hanging around-finally find a set and scribbling a note down.

Olivia groaned and he turned, feeling a hand tugging at the hem of his shirt. In this moment he was reminded of Kaede, and the countless nightmares that availed her when she was younger. His gaze softened and he removed her hand, kneeling at her bedside. 

“Hey, you need to get some sleep.”

“I don’t want to. You’re going to leave,” she grumbles, tears stinging at her eyes. For her sake, he hopes that she forgets this part of the evening. “Stay?”

“...for a little bit,” he finally says, relenting and sitting on the floor beside her bed. Her hand blindly groped in the dark until he reached out, taking her hand in his own. He hears her hum in satisfaction, and it’s not long before her snores fill the air. Kotetsu waits a little longer before standing, holding back a groan as he does so. Staying on the floor for so long was not good for an old man like him. He takes one last glance at the supplies he left on her table before quietly making his way out of the apartment.

The sound of her phone ringing woke Olivia up with a groan, her head pounding. Eyes closed, she felt around her bed, searching for the source of the noise, smiling as she finally silenced it. She lay like that for a few minutes, adjusting to the mortal world before rolling out of bed. As she made her way to her bathroom she noticed a note on her bedside table and stopped, eyeing it curiously. 

_Take this when you wake up, and try and get some extra sleep. I hope you enjoyed your Birthday!_

_Kotetsu_

Olivia couldn’t help but yelp, memories of last night flooding her mind. That’s right, the party! But how did she get back here? If Kotetsu had written the note that meant he had _seen her room_. Shame ran through her entire being, and in that moment death seemed like the sweetest choice for her. The sound of a text notification snapped her out of her thoughts and she glanced at her phone, heart skipping a beat.

_[Kotetsu] Hey, you up? You drank a lot last night. Take care of yourself!_

_[You] Yeah. I feel like I was hit by a truck though lol_

_[You] Thanks for taking me home last night._

_[Kotetsu] No problem! I have to say, your Wild Tiger collection is pretty impressive. I didn’t even know half of that merch existed!_

Olivia groans, her worst fears coming to life. She wanted to crawl back into bed and never leave it, but another ding from her phone caught her attention. 

_[Kotetsu] Take care of yourself, Olivia. I’ll see you around._

_[You] Yeah. Thanks, Kotetsu!_

She sighed, running a hand through her messy hair. She took a sip of water, making her way to the living room when her phone rang. Seeing her boss’ name on the caller ID she made her way to the bathroom. 

“Duty calls.”

**Author's Note:**

> So I was way too happy with this piece to put it in the drabble collection, plus it felt a bit too long to post there SO here it is! There might be a few other pieces related to Adventures in Journalism that will be posted separately, so please keep an eye out for them!


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